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  FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS 

SALISES, UWI, Mona Conference

October 7-9, 2013

“Rethinking Regionalism:  Beyond the CARICOM Integration Project”

July 2013 marks 40 years of the CARICOM regional integration project from its origins in CARIFTA.  The world has changed dramatically during this time, presenting more complex challenges for development; reshaping the integration project along with the perceptions of the movement, both in terms of its capabilities and limitations; and reshaping the Latin America and Caribbean regional landscape, reconfiguring existing organisations/institutions and creating new ones. These developments raise questions as to the very viability of the CARICOM project and its relevance in its current form to the varied complex developments that have taken place since its launch. Despite these developments, some aspects of the regional experience remain unchanged. Chief of these is the continued existence of a large number of non-independent or sub-state entities for which regional projects throughout the Caribbean and Latin America have not offered a viable solution; and the persistence of questions of viability of the independent Caribbean in light of their economic, social,  political and environmental challenges. This conference seeks to engage colleagues in a sweeping review of the region writ large, reflected in the themes set out below which go beyond the CARCOM project and which also take account of how the complex problems of the contemporary reality are likely to shape CARICOM in the future. The conference also invites consideration of other integration schemes in other parts of the world as a basis for comparison and lesson learning.

Abstracts of approximately 150 words should be sent to Nadine Newman at SALISES at [email protected]. The EXTENDED deadline for receipt of abstracts is July 19. Notification of acceptance will be communicated by July 31, 2013. Details of the venue and conference website will be announced in due course.

The Conference themes include, but are not limited to, the following:

Rethinking Regionalism and Regional Integration

How useful are existing theoretical perspectives to understanding modes of regionalism and regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean?

Regionalism, Regionalisation, Integration or Cooperation—Which is the best fit for pan-Caribbean development?

Are regionalism and multilateralism compatible models for Latin America and Caribbean development?

Whither CARICOM? Assessing CARICOM 40 years after the start of the integration project.

Is CARICOM equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century?

How have the financial crisis and global recession affected the fortunes of CARICOM?

How relevant is the CSME? What are some of the challenges affecting its implementation? How might these be overcome?

How successful has CARICOM been in integrating its outlying member states: the Bahamas, Haiti, Suriname and Belize in CARICOM? What are some of the challenges and opportunities that may influence future directions?

Interrogating Models of Regional Governance

Is CARICOM A Community of Sovereign States or a Scuffling of Islands?

Whither the Caribbean Court of Justice? How important is it in international, regional and national law?

Functionalism and CARICOM

How important in functional integration to the CARICOM integration project?

What are some of the strengths and weaknesses in CARICOM’s approach to functionalism?

What are the main areas of success in functional cooperation and how might these be a model for other aspects of cooperation?

What are the gaps in CARICOM’s functional cooperation? How might these be addressed?

What implications do the regional efforts of non-state actors have for the CARICOM integration project?

Is the Caribbean Diaspora relevant to the regional integration project? In what ways might they engage with the regional integration project that can be of benefit to themselves and the region? What are some of the likely challenges in their engagement?

Managing conflict and cooperation in the Caribbean basin

How equipped is CARICOM to manage conflict between its members and states in the wider Caribbean region?

What role is there, if any, for a regional approach to maritime delimitation in the Caribbean region?

How useful is it to consider a regional approach to managing and exploiting for economic development regional common goods such as the Caribbean Sea?

How successful have regional initiatives in managing the environment and climate change been? How might such initiatives be strengthened and expanded?

CARICOM’s widening agenda

Whither CARICOM/Dominican Republic relations?

CARICOM and Cuba: what are the implications of a post-Fidel Castro relationship?

CARICOM and ALBA: what are the prospects for a relationship beyond Hugo Chavez?

How important has ALBA been to the CARICOM region?

What is its likely future without Hugo Chavez?

What lessons are there for alternative models of regional integration that might be drawn?

How relevant is the Association of Caribbean States to CARICOM’s widening agenda?

OECS Economic and political Union

Whither OECS Integration?

How viable is the OECS economic union?

To what extent is it viable outside of a political union of member states?

How compatible is the OECS Integration project with the CARICOM integration project?

Regional sub-state Entities: British Overseas Territories, French Overseas Departments, Dutch Autonomous Units and Municipalities; Puerto Rico

Unfinished independence projects or alternative modes of statehood?

What is the likely future of such entities?

What are some of the ways in which CARICOM and the OECS can interact with these entities in a way that strengthens their political autonomy and economic engagement with the region?

To what extent can their engagement with CARICOM and the OECS strengthen their integration into the Latin American and Caribbean region?

What might some of the opportunities and challenges be to CARICOM and the OECS for their closer engagement with these integration schemes?

Integrating the Southern countries of the American Continent

What possibilities does The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) hold for the reconfiguring of a new relationship among the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America?

What implications are there likely to be for the CARICOM integration process?

IIRSA: CARICOM countries at the point of Interface with Latin America

What are the implications of the engagement of Guyana, Belize and Suriname in The Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA) for their development and integration into Latin America?

What challenges and opportunities do these engagements hold for the CARICOM integration process?

How successful has IIRSA been as a tool of South American Integration?

Europe in the Caribbean and Latin America

In the wake of the global financial crisis and recession, what challenges and possibilities do the EPA hold for CARIFORUM countries?

What are the likely future directions of Europe’s engagement with Latin America?

What are the likely implications to current integration initiatives?

North America in the Caribbean and Latin America

CARICOM/CARIBCAN trade: challenges and possibilities.

The future direction of the US’ engagement with the Caribbean and Latin America

Beyond Europe and North America

China in the Caribbean and Latin America: Exploring the possibilities and challenges that China holds.

The role of Brazil in regional trade.

Brazil’s political role in the region.

Comparing regional integration experiences

The European Union and its influence on regional integration schemes: past and present.

The African Union: Lessons for the Caribbean

Pacific integration schemes: challenges, successes and future direction.

ABSTRACT/PAPER SUBMISSION

Abstracts of no more than 150 words may be submitted to

[email protected]

Deadline for submission of abstracts: EXTENDED TO JULY 19 Notification of acceptance of abstracts: July 31

Dates of Conference: October 7-9, 2013

ENQUIRIES may be directed to Mrs Nadine Newman at (876) 927-1020 or (876) 927-1234 or by emailing [email protected]